New & Looking into SW Tanks

[geedubs]

Hello--
My wife and I have been looking into getting a 55 gallon. It probably won't be any time soon, but we've been thinking about it a lot lately so we want to get informed on the topic. We've done freshwater in the past (currently have a 20 gal), but never salt. I've heard that it's easier to maintain SW, but it's much more expensive to get started.
So my questions for you are, what are the basics we should know? How much live rock do we need, and how do you "cure" it? Do you have to do WC in saltwater if liverock acts as a natural filter?

I come here because we have been thinking of getting a Papuan Toby, my wife loves the colors. So if anyone knows anything about those as well, please share!
It'll probably be either the toby or a dwarf lionfish (which is kind of what I'm hoping for).

[J-P]

Welcome to the forum!

A toby would be nice in a 55.

It can be as easy or as complicated as you want it. If you are going live rock, 1 ~ 1.5 lbs per gallon is the usual norm. That is your largest expense.

You'll have to choose a sand bed set up. You can either go shallow or deep. If you are thinking about a deep sand bed remember to take 6" off the total tank volume and re-calculate.

Most places you obtain the live rock from has it already "cured". You just have to match the specific gravity.

You also will want to consider a skimmer and or a sump. There are some hang on the back skimmers but they are not as effective as having a sump with a full sized skimmer in it.

Regarding water changes... again, depending on how complicated you want to go, they are greatly reduced or eliminated.

Don't go large on the lighting as you won't be keeping corals.
Don't go for live sand. Choose what you want (or Aragonite but not with a deep sand bed)
Do get a good liquid test kit, a refractometer, and a good quality salt mix.

Don't forget to post pics and ask Q's (questions). You'll get A's (answers).

[geedubs]

Alright, I got most of that. Thanks J-P! My only question now is... what is a skimmer and what is a sump? lol

[J-P]

A skimmer is a type of filter that works off the surface tension of the water. It produces 1000's of tiny little bubbles that burst leaving a protein based residue. This is usually done in a collection cup.



A sump is a place there the equipment is kept, under or near the tank that provides secondary filtration (usually housing the skimmer). That is where the dirty work is done. That is usually where you do most of your maintenance as opposed to the main display.

There is also a refugium which is similar to a sump but contains macro algae, live sand and live rock.

Some people combine the benefits of both of these and some choose one over the other. In a FOWLR (fish only with live rock), I'd more towards the mechanical side and use a sump.

This is an interesting vid on sumps:



don't mind the sales pitch or the acrylic promo... he does a good job of explaining the basic layout and function.

[Pufferpunk]

http://www.melevsreef.com
Great sump info & more!

[DrKennethNoisewater]

that is a good definition. i always knew what a sump was and what it did but never really looked into how to actually set one up. thanks

[geedubs]

Thank you. I don't have time to look at those tonight, but I will definitely make time for it tomorrow. I have seen sumps and skimmers mentioned, but I have never really been sure what they were, lol. Good to know.